John Winston Jones (November 22, 1791 – January 29, 1848) was an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bi ...

and lawyer. He served five terms in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from 1835 to 1845. He served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in both the U.S. House of Representatives (1843-1845) and the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

(1847).

Early life and career

Born November 22, 1791 in

Amelia County, Virginia Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House. Amel ...

, he graduated from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

in 1813. He practiced law in

Chesterfield County, Virginia Chesterfield County is located just south of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county's borders are primarily defined by the James River to the north and the Appomattox River to the south. Its county seat is Chesterfield Court H ...

before being appointed Prosecuting Attorney for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

's 5th Judicial Circuit in 1818. He was a delegate to the 1829–1830 state constitutional convention.

Tenure in Congress

Jones was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

1835 Events January–March * January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist. * January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...

and served five terms. As he rose through the ranks of the House, he became chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, replacing future president

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

, and House Democratic Leader, succeeding future president

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

. He was elected to serve as

during the 28th Congress, which convened in 1843 and adjourned in 1845. Jones declined nomination for a sixth term in Congress and returned to Virginia in 1845.

Career after Congress

Upon his retirement from Congress, he returned to the practice of law in Virginia. Among his more prominent cases, he served as lead counsel for Thomas Ritchie, Jr., who in 1846 faced trial for his involvement in the infamous duel in which John Hampden Pleasants was fatally wounded. Ritchie won acquittal on the grounds of self-defense. That same year, Jones was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and in 1847 was chosen as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

. He was elected to a second term in 1847, but did not attend the session due to illness. He resigned his seat on December 17. The vacant House seat was later filled by his son, Alexander.

Private life

Jones married Harriet Boisseau in 1815 and together they had three children: Mary Winston, James Boisseau and Alexander. His son-in-law was George W.B. Towns, who was the 39th Governor of Georgia from 1847 to 1851. Jones died on January 29, 1848. He is buried in the family cemetery at his Dellwood Plantation northwest of

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Econ ...

Electoral history

*1835; Jones was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 68.09% of the vote, defeating Whig William Segar Archer. *1837; Jones was re-elected unopposed. *1839; Jones was re-elected with 58.51% of the vote, defeating a Whig identified only as Taylor. *1841; Jones was re-elected with 69.47% of the vote, defeating Independents Junius E. Leigh and Thomas Miller. *1843; Jones was re-elected unopposed.

References

External links

Dellwood PlantationBiography
at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, John Winston 1791 births 1848 deaths College of William & Mary alumni Speakers of the United States House of Representatives Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Jacksonian members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American politicians People from Amelia County, Virginia